Patricia August 27th, 2007

Ok, there are a few things I get asked often enough that I feel the need to bust out a whole post about them.  Most of the other things I tend to tuck away in the FAQ, but this one is big enough that I feel I ought to bring it out in its own post.

First, insurance isn’t sexy.  In fact it is rather boring and mundane at the best of times.  I’m sorry to say this, but I fear by the nature of it all, this post will follow its topic and be dull also.  I’m doing my best folks, but it is insurance — if it was fun, we’d know more about it, right?  If you like podcasts, I suggest you listen to Michael and I discuss the insurance thing ages ago here.

Next, I like simplicity.  Because of this I basically deal with two insurance companies and only two types of policies.  I do this because I think these two companies offer the best options at the most reasonable prices.  There are far more options out there and yes, you can totally get down into the weeds rather quickly — see point the first.  I like two options.

First, in your confirmation I quote ONE price for insurance.  It is from TravelSafe and it is their basic policy.  I quote it because it tends to be the best price for the basic insurance.  (I’ve even been good and attached the policy pdf to this post.)  Should you be like me and want to get back to the knitting, I offer you Michael’s well written summary of insurance that he wrote for a client recently.  (I’ve done minor edits to make it make more universal sense.)

   The travel insurance Patricia quoted you is offered by our partner TravelSafe and includes the following benefits:

·         Pre-Departure Trip Cancellation- Up to trip cost.  If you should have to cancel your trip after final payment is due, this benefit will cover penalties incurred by the cancellation.

·         Post-Departure Trip Interruption- Up to 150% of rip cost

·         Travel Delay (8 hours or more)- $200 Per day, $1,000 Maximum

·         Accident & Sickness Medical Expenses- $100,000

·         Emergency Medical Evacuation and Repatriation of Remains- $1,000,000

·         On Call 24 Hour Assistance Service

·         Baggage and Personal Effects- $2,500

·         Baggage Delay of 12 Hours or More- $250

·         Accidental Death and Dismemberment- $50,000

  If you elect to purchase your own airfare we strongly recommend that you try to arrive in Seattle the day before the cruise if possible.  By arriving the day before it gives you a bit of a buffer in case you encounter a flight delay or cancellation.  It also gives your luggage a chance to catch up with you prior to sailing in the event that the airline manages to separate your luggage from you while you travel.  If you fly in the day of embarkation, it is best to arrive before noon.  This will give you enough time to make it to the ship before boarding is closed.  We also recommend that you schedule your return flight for any time after noon, this will ensure that you have ample time to reach the airport and check in.  It also provides you with a little extra time to reach the airport in case disembarkation is delayed for any reason.

Things that are important that aren’t above:

• You have 15 days from the date your deposit was made to purchase this insurance to have the company waive “pre-existing conditions.”  This is key if you want to prevent the insurance company from denying your claim just because they see you had high-cholesterol in the 6th grade — this is a gross overstatement, but you get my drift.
• If you add anything you want to cover in your travel insurance policy, you need to notify me with the details and the amount to add to your policy within 15 days of the new purchase.  For example, you book the cruise, we buy insurance to cover the cruise, then you buy your airfare on your own for $500.  You need to call me and let me know, or your airfare isn’t covered under the policy should you cancel.  (This is most key with airfare, since you will have a penalty if you cancel even before final payment of the cruise.)  Note, there may be a small added insurance charge to cover the increase.

Now, there are two other kinds of policies you will want to know about:

1. Let’s pretend you are reading this now and you booked a month ago.  You are now saying to yourself, “My word, Patricia is SO right, I need to buy insurance NOW — but this pre-existing condition scares me — I want it covered.”  Well, if this is the case, I work with another company that offers similar coverage, but will waive the pre-existing condition clause as long as you purchase PRIOR TO FINAL PAYMENT.  If you call me to buy insurance after the 15 day mark, I will re-quote you using this insurance company because I want EVERYTHING covered.
2. Now, let’s pretend that you are concerned about “what a covered reason to cancel is.”  In the case of basic insurance it is mostly illness (you, your travel companion, or your family) or death.  Let’s say you are concerned about your job, you fear bad hair days or whatever.  You need a “Cancel for Any Reason” policy.  And it is just that.  Where a covered reason will pay at 100% of the penalty, a Cancel for ANY Reason policy will pay at 75% for any non-covered reason.  I like to call it “the bad hair day = I can’t be seen in public policy.”  There are THREE important things to note with this policy:
   1. You must purchase it within 15 days of the deposit.  (If you see this and know you NEED this, call me — we will figure it out.)
   2. You must cancel (with a non-covered reason) before 48 hours prior to departure for the trip.  This means YOUR departure — so if you are leaving on May 1 to see family on your way, you must cancel prior to April 29.
   3. This policy is more expensive.

Confused yet?  I’m sorry if you are.  I am an excellent travel agent and not an insurance agent.  I will try my best to get you answers based on your own circumstances, just let me know.

Now, forgive me while I go pet some cashmere to help me feel better after all the talk of insurance, k?

• Uncategorized
• Comments(1)